Newsletter (copy 54)

View this email in your browser

Hi,

Here’s some good news to kick things off:

• At COP29, 25 countries and the European Union said they’ll commit to no new unabated coal power as they update their climate plans.

• Canada, Chile, the European Union, Georgia, Mexico, Norway and Switzerland said they'll submit aggressive decarbonisation pledges in the months ahead.

• Plug-in models accounted for 53% of new vehicle sales in China in October, according to a CleanTechnica analysis.

• Greece has secured €1.6 billion ($1.7 billion) for decarbonisation projects across the country’s islands.

• Clean energy and transport investment in the US reached a record $71 billion in the third quarter of 2024, per Rhodium Group.

Know anyone else who’d be interested in signing up to this free newsletter? They can do so here.

Thanks for reading.

Nick Hedley

Editor, The Progress Playbook

Chile’s renewable energy surge pushes coal to new lows

Coal’s share of Chile’s electricity output fell to a fresh monthly low of 11.7% in October 2024 as hydro generation recovered and new wind, solar and battery storage facilities helped displace fossil fuels.

• In the first 10 months of the year, coal’s share of the mix was 15.8%. That’s down from 43.6% as recently as 2016. All renewables accounted for 66.8% of generation.

• Chile aims to phase out coal by the end of the decade as a wave of new solar and big battery projects advance.

- Read the full story here.

Small patches of urban wildflowers boost bee populations and biodiversity, study shows

Small patches of wildflowers in urban areas can be just as effective as natural meadows in nurturing pollinator populations, a Polish study has found.

- Read the full story here.

Inside the climate ‘positive’ buildings movement

Over decades, the green building movement has been trying to shrink the environmental footprint of construction. Now advances in technology and green-building laws are pushing ambition higher than net zero.

- Read the full story here.

A message from WomenStrong International, a nonprofit that funds organisations headed by women: WomenStrong International is looking to fund its first climate-focused cohort. The application period is open until November 30th, and letters of interest can be submitted here.

How the aviation sector can slash the climate impact of contrails — at little cost

Tweaking the routes of just a few flights could halve contrail warming by 2040 — and would cost passengers less than €4 per ticket, a new study by research group Transport & Environment (T&E) finds.

- Read the full story here.

Indonesia vows to retire all coal plants within 15 years

Indonesia’s President, Prabowo Subianto, said the government plans to retire all the nation’s coal power plants within 15 years to help stem global warming.

- Read the full story here.

Other articles you might find interesting:

• Here’s how the world’s biggest heat pump will work

• Decarbonising manufacturing: Most processes are no longer ‘hard to abate’

• Inside Denmark’s bold new nature restoration plan

• How these countries are unlocking hidden grid capacity to speed up the energy transition

• Portugal’s gas consumption slides as renewables dominate power generation

• UK grid operator to expand demand flexibility programme to accelerate decarbonisation

Help us grow and maximise our impact via a voluntary monthly subscription facilitated by Google.

Have any tips, ideas or feedback for us?

Please contact [email protected].

Subscribe to The Progress Playbook (it’s free)

Follow The Progress Playbook on social media:

Copyright (C) 2023, The Progress Playbook. All rights reserved.Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up here to subscribe yourself.Want to change how you receive these emails?You can unsubscribe